Trusting yourself again with your dog can feel confusing, especially when nothing looks “fixed” yet.

For overwhelmed dog parents, progress often shows up internally before behaviour changes become visible, and that’s where self-doubt can creep back in.

In this episode of The Mindful Dog Parent, Siân Lawley-Rudd explores what happens when your nervous system starts to settle, but your confidence hasn’t caught up yet. Through a personal story about Bonnie and a trauma-informed lens on dog training, this episode gently reframes what real progress looks like when you’re rebuilding calm, trust, and emotional capacity.

Rather than pushing for results or perfection, this conversation focuses on recognising the quieter signs of growth, the ones that matter most for anxious dog owners and their dogs.

1. Why trusting yourself again can feel unsettling with dog training
2. How nervous system regulation affects confidence and decision-making
3. Why progress often feels neutral before it feels positive
4. What co-regulation really looks like between you and your dog
5. How self-trust supports calm dog training more than consistency alone
6. Why “not doing more” can actually create safer behaviour change

This episode is a reminder that dog training doesn’t start with fixing behaviour, it starts with feeling steady enough to stay present.

1. When You Can’t Bring Yourself to Train Your Dog: Why Your Motivation Disappears (And How to Get It Back)
2. When Dog Training Feels Like Too Much: 3 Ways to Bring Back Calm and Confidence
3. The One-Minute Reset: A Simple Way to Regulate Your Dog (and Yourself)

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Takeaways:

1. The pivotal moment in dog training occurs when internal shifts happen before visible changes in your dog's behaviour.
2. Self-trust often develops in the absence of observable progress, marking a crucial phase in training.
3. The nervous system's regulation is essential for effective dog training and co-regulation between the dog parent and dog.
4. Recognising subtle internal progress is vital, as it creates a platform for further development in both dog and dog parent.